Success StoryA Public Forum for Program Development
A Public Forum for Program Development
Author: Gretchen Plocek
Planning Unit: Oldham County CES
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Plan of Work: Leadership, Community, and Economic Development
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Every year, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service at the county level identifies key program topics that are essential to the education of their residents. In Oldham County, our Plan of Work programs for Agriculture & Natural Resources are commonly identified by volunteers serving on the Extension District Board, County Extension Council, ANR/Horticulture Program Council, and the volunteers of our various clubs. This year, however, as an all reasonable efforts approach to hear from county residents that are not extension-affiliated, ANR Extension partnered with the Oldham County Conservation District in putting on the Oldham County Agriculture and Conservation Public Forum. This forum was created to introduce our two offices to a population that is generally unfamiliar with what conservation district and extension can provide to the county. In addition, the forum was designed to be opened for the public to inform us on what education they found the county needed. In order to ensure the reach of residents in our county, we partnered with the local newspaper, local agriculture businesses, magistrates, and community leaders for aid in advertising, invitations, and attending the event. Flyers were also shared during various extension programs, newsletters, and on our public Facebook pages. On the day of the event, Extension and Conservation district heard from around 15 individuals of the county, 6 of which had never attended an extension or conservation event. At the end of the night, 13 programs were suggested, 5 of which were topics that had not been identified by extension volunteers. Finally, the participants were asked to weigh in on field days and community events. Various field days under the topics of sheep, goats, equine, and equipment safety were suggested and 3 people were identified as possible hosts. Of the hosts identified, 1 individual was new to volunteering with extension. As we build our schedules for the next year, the ANR and Horticulture program areas of the Oldham County Cooperative Extension Service can confidently say that our programs were identified by and fulfill the needs of our county.
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